The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-02-05
LEWIS N CLARKE.
4 Passage In American History Repre-
sented by These Two Names

sented by These Two NameA
The purchase Of Louisiana by oul
country in 1908 gave us the French pos
sessions upon this continent. The ter
ritory was estimated at more than one
million of square miles. 1t embraced
much more than has since been known
under the name of Louisiana, for there
was included within the limits of the
purchase all the territory lying be-
tween the British possessions on the
north and Mexico on the south, and II
stretched from the Mississippi to the
Pacific. To this new acquisition the at.
tention of the public was 1t once d.
rected.
Jefferson was President, and Madi-
o was Secretary of State. The former
had, for some years, contemplated
sending a person to explore the western
part of the continent. As soon
as the purchase was made. the
Presidenttook prompt measures to carry
his plan into execution. In the Me-
moirs of Dolly Madison it is stated that
Lewis and Clarke were sent upon their
expedition as early as February, 1903.
We are there told that 1.-The ladies OF
the Cabinet, particularly Mrs. Madison,
were mo st interested and sympathetic.
providing every thing that could be
needed in such II pcrilous journey, fear
ing they might never return from the
distant land of sayages."
Captain Lewis was at this time the
private secretary of the President, and
Captain Clarke was called from his
post in the army. We have Il letter of
the Presidents to his friend, DR.. Bar
ton. of Philadelphia, relating to the ex-
petition, and containing an interesting
notice of his secretary:
ut was impossible to find a man who,
to a complete science of botany. natural
history, mineralogy and astronomy,
joined the tirmness of constitution and
character, prudence, habits adapted to
the woods, and familiarity with the In
dian habits and manners requisite for
this undertaking.
"All the latter qualifications Lewis
has; although no real botanist, etc, he
possesses Il remarkable store of accu-
rate information on all subjects of the
three kingdoms, and will therefore
readily single out whatever presents
itself new to him in either; and he has
qualified himself for taking the longi-
tude and latitude necessary to fix the
geography of the line he passes through.
In order to draw his attention at once
to the objects most desirable, l must
ask of You to prepare for him a note Of
those in the line Of botany, zoology, or
of Indian history which you think most
worthy of observation. Sincerely your
triend.'
The Presidents signature followed.
The preparations were not completed
In season that the expedition could
start that year. The winter of 1904
was spent by them in camp at Wood
rivcron the east bank of the Mississippi.
The party started on its long journey
up the Missouri. May IA, 1904. The
leaders were accompanied by nine
young men from Kentucky, fourteen
soldiers, two French boatmen, an inter-
prefer. a hunter and Il black servant Of
Captain Clarke.
The first summer the expedition as.
cended the Missouri river n computed
distance Of sixteen hundred miles, to a
point in Dakota near the White Earth
river. Their camp for the winter they
named Fort Mandan. The next spring
they resumed their journey on tn 4th Of
April. On the 2sth of July, 1905, they
reached the three forks of the Missouri.
The southeast fork was called Gala.
tin, for the Secretary nf the Treasury,
the southwest was named Jefferson,
and the middle one, Madison. They
followed the southwest branch until,
the 18th of August, they reached
the source of the Missouri, which had
never before been seen BY civilized
man. This same day they followed an
Indian trail leading westward through :
mountains, and came to "a hand.
some, bold creek of cold. clear water, I,
running to the westward" They drank !
Tor the first time of the waters of the I
Following the course of thi. :
river, it was not until the 9TH of Novem.
Der that they reached the Pacific Ocean, i.
md the object of their undertaking was .
accomplished. The journal of the OK. :
pedition was prepared for republication by :
captain Clark. but 1T was many years =
before it was printed in Philadelphia =
Companion. ),